Letters to the editor: 3/30

Immigration laws work for many, enforce them

This letter is in response to the March 9 Valley Views column ("Cuomo's weight needed to change undocumented immigrant license policy"). Walter Cadette suggests we should have compassion for the problems of undocumented aliens and, in effect, aid them in circumventing the law. He apparently is a law-abiding, legal citizen. Yet are his views not aiding and abetting law breakers?

I'm a legal immigrant. I applied, then waited three years for a visa. After arriving in America, I waited another five years before I could become an American citizen, after passing the citizenship test in English.

As a legal immigrant, I would like to offer an alternate view:

"Undocumented" is a euphemism for "illegal." If our government cannot or won't enforce the law, we can do so by making it difficult for foreigners to become illegal immigrants.

The City of Dallas has made a good beginning. When a driver is stopped for an infraction and doesn't have insurance, the car is impounded. It can be retrieved with proof of insurance, a $350 fine, plus $20 a day for storage. Eight percent of the drivers were illegal; the accident rate went down by 47 percent.

I would suggest we go further: If they cannot show they have filed a federal income tax return, report them to the Internal Revenue Service. If they have no proof of citizenship or a valid visa, escort them to the border.

After that, any foreigner can apply to become a legal immigrant and, of course, we would welcome him, as I was.

Fred Otte

Poughkeepsie

'Sharp' GOP responsible for retroactive fuel tax

I bought my winter's fuel oil last summer, but when I got my March delivery today I was charged $23.58 by Dutchess County. When I called the fuel oil company, I was told that even though I had paid for the fuel oil eight months ago, under the new Dutchess County law I had to pay the new 3.75 percent tax, as delivery of the product was after the start of the new tax. Boy, aren't these Republicans sharp!

Jon Wechsler

Rhinebeck

Dutchess fortunate to have Molinaro at helm

I was very pleased to read Eric Michael Zengen's letter in the March 21 newspaper ("Molinaro inherited huge county budget deficit"). With all the inane and odd role models our children see today, it was a breath of fresh air that this young man saw Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro as a role model. I am the mother of two young children and I hope that at 20 years old, they can see the quality, genuineness and concern for other people that our Dutchess County executive has. We are very fortunate in Dutchess County to have Marc Molinaro at the helm.

Brooke Fedigan

Lagrangeville

Cosby backed Brawley, hurt many reputations

Three decades after fanning the flames of the Tawana Brawley debacle, Bill Cosby returns to Poughkeepsie ("Bill Cosby to pack civic center for fundraiser" March 26). With no knowledge of the facts, he blindly supported Tawana Brawley and her instigators and did nothing but hurt the good reputations of many people. If he needs money, let him dig into that $25,000 reward he offered to anyone with information on the case. There were no takers.

Joe Kiernan

Wappingers Falls

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Letters to the editor: 3/30

This letter is in response to the March 9 Valley Views column ('Cuomo's weight needed to change undocumented immigrant license policy').